Players to watch in 2012/13: Tottenham’s Sandro

The Premier League Owl

What a monster.

Sandro may have had his pre-season decimated by Olympic duty, but as and when he returns to his club, expect him to develop into Tottenham’s heartbeat this year.

The Brazilian is criminally under-appreciated outside of White Hart Lane, and that’s maybe because you’ll rarely see him on any Match Of The Day highlights packages and hence he remains inaccessible to the average armchair fan.

Ask a Spurs’ fan about him though, and they’ll tell you that there really isn’t much he can’t do.

Built like a vending machine, Sandro is the ball-winner in God’s own image. Strength, desire, technique, and all combined with the lungs of a marathon runner, he’s the reason why nobody should be too concerned over Scott Parker’s prolonged absence.

As with many players, television doesn’t do Sandro justice. Watching him in the flesh gives you an appreciation for a midfielder who ticks every requirement of the position - yes he can tackle, but his distribution and tactical awareness improve every time he completes 90 minutes. Added to that, in the last days of Harry Redknapp he also began to demonstrate an ability to integrate himself into the offensive side of play - adding weight to his ‘complete midfielder’ label.

You see what Manchester City have with Yaya Toure? Sandro has all the attributes needed to emulate the Ivorian. And he wears a gumshield.